Ten Years – A Retrospective

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 Welcome to the Denver Stuffer Podcast!

spk_0 In this retrospective, Denver recounts some of the many ways the Lord has labored in his

spk_0 vineyard over the past ten years following the ten talks.

spk_0 We're reaching the end of another year, and with New Year's resolutions coming up that

spk_0 are generally looking out to the future, it occurs to me that we ought to take a moment

spk_0 to think about what has happened over the course of the last ten years since the completion

spk_0 of the ten talks that were given beginning in Boise and ending in the Phoenix area, which

spk_0 is now been a decade.

spk_0 It was in connection with those talks that the declaration was made that the heavens were

spk_0 open and that the Lord had set his hand again the second time to recover as people

spk_0 Israel.

spk_0 We tend to look at that in a very narrow lens as if everything that the Lord has been

spk_0 doing to further his work has occurred within our eyesight or within our area of responsibility,

spk_0 but there are many things that the Lord has done that made possible his work, but wasn't

spk_0 done by us.

spk_0 It was made available to us by the work of other people.

spk_0 For example, in the last ten years we have been the beneficiaries of collaborative technological

spk_0 tools that make it possible for people located in very different geographic locations to work

spk_0 together in order to complete projects.

spk_0 Most notably, the Restoration Scripture project was only possible because we have collaborative

spk_0 tools that have been made available that didn't exist just a short while ago.

spk_0 We have new digital technology that has been made available, including instant communications

spk_0 and multiple ways to collect and transcribe and preserve, publish, engrave, share, search

spk_0 and learn from the material that we have, that sacred and important for us to be able to dispense

spk_0 and disperse.

spk_0 We have live video conferencing and webinar capabilities that we've been able to use to bring

spk_0 people together in ways never before possible and have enabled conversations to take place

spk_0 about in the study of the gospel to be achieved in a way that didn't exist before.

spk_0 We have live video and audio streaming technology that's made it possible for covenants to be

spk_0 administered worldwide at the same time in fulfillment of prophecy.

spk_0 We've been publishing a great deal of material, including restoration of the testimony of St. John.

spk_0 We've got many revelations from the Lord that have been added to the teachings and commandments,

spk_0 including some very important replacements for corrupted doctrine and covenant sections,

spk_0 as well as further teachings and commandments that are addressed specifically to our generation.

spk_0 We have had canonized by a vote of acceptance, the restoration edition of the scriptures,

spk_0 including the Book of Mormon, and the fullness of the scriptures. The Book of Mormon

spk_0 in the form that it got published by the LDS Church was really taken from a version that got

spk_0 published in the British Isles that contained many errors and omissions and problems,

spk_0 and the restoration project attempted to recover, correct, and finish up the Book of Mormon

spk_0 in the most correct way that it had ever been printed before. Joseph Smith also referred to

spk_0 the fullness of the scriptures as being both the Book of Mormon and the Bible as he had corrected it.

spk_0 We found out in the Scripture project that the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible had

spk_0 never been accurately published, and so the restoration edition of the scriptures includes

spk_0 the fullness of the scriptures as Joseph Smith described it with the most complete and accurate

spk_0 Joseph Smith translation of the Bible that has ever been in print. We have been able to publish

spk_0 the restoration edition of the scriptures worldwide, including print-on-demand versions,

spk_0 leather high-quality forms. There are apps that have been prepared that make the scriptures

spk_0 available for your handheld or your computer. There are online access to the scriptures

spk_0 insurigible formats. There are audio and podcast versions. We have

spk_0 greater access to the restoration edition of the scriptures available to us than perhaps

spk_0 any other people have had scriptures made available to them as quickly as they have come out

spk_0 and become available for us. There's been a compilation of the glossary which has the most

spk_0 extensive foundational primer on understanding the gospel available anywhere. If a person were to

spk_0 take and read the glossary, just cover to cover, what they would find is that they know more about

spk_0 the restoration and the gospel than most people ever achieve in a lifetime of membership in any of the

spk_0 other restoration churches from the LDS to the community of Christ. We have adopted a statement

spk_0 of principles that took some doing but managed to reach a form in which there was no opposition to it.

spk_0 The covenant of Christ has been not only finalized as a plain English version of the book of Mormon,

spk_0 but it's been accepted by a body of believers and is now available to help anyone understand

spk_0 the content of that book directed to this generation. It's now in existence in three different formats.

spk_0 The restoration edition, which includes extensive background description in preface and in the

spk_0 material that's forward, but there's a first nation's edition that has been printed that has

spk_0 none of that material. It has the original text and it has a brief introduction to the first

spk_0 nation's people. And then there's a reader's edition that's intended to be given to other people

spk_0 who are willing to accept the book of Mormon but don't need to read anything about the restoration

spk_0 movement. It's already having a great effect on children and teens and it provides greater clarity

spk_0 and power in our own current language than most people are able to achieve by reading the book of

spk_0 Mormon alone. We were given an inspired prayer along with an answer to that prayer and a covenant.

spk_0 It's the first grafting back into the mother tree that has happened since the restoration began

spk_0 and it includes specific promises to those who keep the covenant. I don't think it possible to

spk_0 overstate the importance of the covenant. In addition, there have been a series of lectures that have

spk_0 been given that really do shed a great deal more light about the understanding of the gospel.

spk_0 Talks titled Religion of the Fathers are divine parents, civilization, the holy order one

spk_0 and two. All of those are in addition to the ten talks that were given previously. We also have a great

spk_0 deal of new information about Joseph Smith and his battle against the sin and corruption

spk_0 that was going on in the city of Navu that he was opposed to including adultery in the form of

spk_0 polygamy. We've received instructions on the priesthood, clarification on authority,

spk_0 and performance of public ordinances, including baptism and sacrament, and we've been given direction

spk_0 about how to authorize people to perform ordinances outside of their own family and women's

spk_0 participation in the disciplinary process. We've had 18 general conferences. We've had over 50

spk_0 regional conferences and events, including seven sawtooth campouts. We've seen women in adult

spk_0 retreats, youth conferences, and multi fellowship gatherings. Thousands of fellowship meetings have

spk_0 taken place, including in-person and online fellowships that meet regularly, where people collect

spk_0 and administer their own tithing and uplift each other in faith. There have been countless

spk_0 opportunities for people in need to receive tithes dispensed to them. Unlike an institution that

spk_0 collects and keeps it for themselves, our tithes go to help one another. Outreach efforts have

spk_0 included eight talks given to the Christians, a 500 year reparation commemoration website,

spk_0 including biographies of inspired reformers, and recognition of the continuing effect that movement

spk_0 has had on us today. There's a book, The Testimony of Jesus, Past, Present, and Promise,

spk_0 that deals with much of how we benefited from all that. There have been inner faith conferences,

spk_0 and multiple Joseph Smith conferences have been held. Conferences in various parts of the world,

spk_0 including Europe, the Far East, and of course throughout the United States. There's a book

spk_0 rescuing the restoration that has been put out. Websites are now available to request baptism,

spk_0 to locate fellowships, to hear the ten talks, to receive the covenant, and to connect with believers

spk_0 worldwide. There have been preservation efforts that have taken place, recording and transcriptions

spk_0 of millions of words of audio and video conference and talks. Publication of numerous works,

spk_0 including books, compilations of talks, podcasts, scriptures, website, blogs, video streams,

spk_0 and audio books. Major works have been etched into stainless steel plates for long-term preservation,

spk_0 and websites have been developed to preserve the word of the Lord, including a library of material

spk_0 from Joseph Smith, a library of material for myself, and soon a library will come on board

spk_0 from material published by Hugh Nibbley. We have established a physical book vault for preservation

spk_0 of important works until the Temple Library can take custody of them. There's digital archives of

spk_0 important works preserved in air-gapped hard drives, and computers located around the world.

spk_0 Archive works are saved in cloud storage, located in redundant data centers worldwide,

spk_0 so that we don't lose the material. In addition to everything else, the Joseph Smith

spk_0 Papers project has been rolling out during this same time period. It's preserved and made available

spk_0 hundreds of important documents. Even if the LDS Church chose to include footnotes written by them

spk_0 in their historians and headnotes written by them in historical introductions, many of which are

spk_0 inaccurate and contradict the very papers that they are publishing, still the Joseph Smith Papers project

spk_0 has been a goldmine of material that has helped us understand Joseph and what went on in the

spk_0 beginning of the restoration. Several works are underway or have already been translated into

spk_0 Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, French, and ancient Hebrew among other languages. There has been

spk_0 preparation for a temple, including a temple fund that has been established and funds have been

spk_0 gathered. The recorder's clearinghouse has recorded baptisms for inclusion in the temple records,

spk_0 and there are other preparations and efforts underway that aren't currently public, but they're

spk_0 the less underway. There have literally been testimonies in the heavens and in the earth.

spk_0 They include blood moons and solar eclipses, the great sign in the heavens that was given

spk_0 that corresponded with some things that occurred on earth. Numerous testimonies related to

spk_0 constellations and planetary alignments, fires, earthquakes, tempests, whirlwinds, floods.

spk_0 There have been multiple LDS temples with the Angel Moroni struck by lightning,

spk_0 or the trumpet being thrown down, heralding the LDS version of the restoration from the Salt Lake

spk_0 temple. The stick of Joseph publication corresponded with significant date and sign alignments.

spk_0 Collectively, all of these events and more that aren't necessarily public yet,

spk_0 but will roll out into public view when the work has been completed. Testify that when the Lord

spk_0 said that the heavens were open and that he was reaching out a second time, he meant it,

spk_0 and it has in fact proven to be a time of miraculous development, miraculous possibility,

spk_0 and proof that the Lord is vindicating His Word and serious about accomplishing all that He had in mind.

spk_0 Lastly, let me assure all of those who have participated in this and held onto their faith,

spk_0 that the time being taken to prepare ourselves rather than attempting to immediately gather together

spk_0 is time very well spent. There are people who have chosen to depart from us or chosen to create

spk_0 conflict within us who have exposed themselves as the kind of people that would have readily been

spk_0 invited to gather with us at an earlier point, but who now at this point appear to be

spk_0 unlikely candidates because we don't need to be disrupted by conflict. We should all be rejoicing

spk_0 the remarkable progress that has been and is being made. There's so much left to be accomplished.

spk_0 There are so little that we currently understand and so much more that will roll out into view

spk_0 that we ought to take seriously and study everything that we've been given to prepare our minds

spk_0 in our hearts as the Lord chooses to give more. This has been a decade of historic achievement,

spk_0 a decade of unbelievable progress from where we began a decade ago to where we are now.

spk_0 It is as if we have climbed a mountain, but as it turns out, that mountain we've climbed to this point

spk_0 is a foothill to the mountain left yet to be climbed. I am grateful for all of those who have and do

spk_0 participate. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of people who behind the scenes have been doing work

spk_0 that don't get credit or recognition, but this work is impossible without their continued support,

spk_0 their continued labor, their continued effort. I hope the time will come also when

spk_0 those families in which there's a believing husband and a non-believing wife or a believing

spk_0 wife and a non-believing husband might all become reconciled to the truth and decide that they will

spk_0 jointly go forward in hope, progressing toward that day when the fullness of the gospel is shouted

spk_0 from every rooftop, and no one needs to say no, ye the Lord, because we all know Him.

spk_0 I hope for that, I long for that, and I encourage you also to pray for that. I close this brief

spk_0 message in the name of Jesus Christ, and thank you all for participating.

spk_0 The foregoing was recorded by Denver on December 26, 2024. A complete collection of Denver's

spk_0 papers and lectures are available free of charge at restorationarchives.com. You can learn more about

spk_0 what God is doing to restore the gospel today at learnofchrist.org. Baptism or re-baptism is

spk_0 available for free at bornofwater.org to everyone who asks with no obligation to join or attend any

spk_0 church or organization. The new Restoration Edition of the Scriptures was canonized in 2017.

spk_0 All three volumes are available online for free at scriptures.info.

spk_0 The book Covenant of Christ, discussed in this podcast, was accepted by vote of the body of

spk_0 believers assembled at a general conference on October 27, 2024. It is available online for free

spk_0 at CovenantofChrist.org. The covenant mentioned in this podcast is available to review at

spk_0 receivethecovenant.com. If you have questions or ideas for topics that you would like to have covered

spk_0 in this podcast, please submit them for consideration to questions at denversnufferpodcast.com.

spk_0 This podcast is a volunteer effort produced under the direction of Denver's Nuffer. We hope you'll

spk_0 share it with everyone interested in learning more about Christ, the coming Zion, and the restoration

spk_0 of authentic Christianity, now underway in our time.

Ten Years &#8211; A Retrospective

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Ten Years – A Retrospective